New Blown-ion™ 500 Plasma Surface Treating Technology Enables Rockwell Automation’s Switch from Print-and-Apply Labels to In-Line Digital Printing
When Rockwell Automation moved its contactor and relay production back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it had to develop an entirely new process for the changing volumes and available space. The new highly automated assembly line would also be a showcase of Rockwell’s automation capabilities, featuring Rockwell drives, motors, Independent Cart Technology (ICT), PLC’s, HMI’s, sensors, and…
Read MorePlasma, Flame & Corona Pretreatment for Surface Treating Plastics
Generally, plastics have chemically inert and nonporous surfaces with low surface tensions. This makes them nonreceptive to bonding with inks, adhesives, coatings, and other substrates. Polyethylene and polypropylene for example have very low surface energy. Pretreatment of these and other engineered plastics improves bonding prior to printing, coating, and laminating. The best type of surface…
Read MorePlasma & Flame Surface Treatment Distance & Dwell Time Recommendations for Consistent Treatment Results
What is the ideal distance between the treatment head and the surface to be treated? The answer depends on the surface treater you are using and your specific application. However, there are some general guidelines that you should be aware of: Treatment Distance Treatment Dwell Time Treatment Angle Measuring Treatment Success Pretesting and good documentation…
Read MoreRoll Aluminum Surface Preparation for Packaging Applications
The packaging industries within North America and Western Europe consume the majority of the aluminum sheet and foil for making beverage cans, flexible packaging and foil wraps. The choice of alloy for these applications typically predetermines properties such as strength, formability and resistance to corrosion. Other requirements such as the surface finish, flatness and gauge…
Read MoreThree Mistakes to Avoid When Plasma Treating
We have many customers who have tried a corona or plasma treating solution in the past with failed results and were very hesitant to give plasma a second try. However, there are three areas which can be corrected for improved results: using the right plasma technology with the proper set up, having the proper protocols…
Read MoreGetting Started with Flame Plasma
What’s in the eBook? Learn how flame plasma is helping users improve product quality, and increase production speeds. See what Enercon customers are saying “We’ve integrated Enercon flame treaters and we really enjoy working with Enercon because of their depth of knowledge in surface treating.”Jerry Schmit, Sr Applications Engineer, Midwest Engineering Solutions
Read MoreImproving UV Coating Results with Corona & Plasma Surface Preparation
UV coatings are a great choice for high value applications where scratch resistance and surface performance are essential. While traditional UV lamps are still used, the advancement of LED curing technology has improved operational efficiencies for numerous applications. This article reviews the importance of properly preparing surfaces for bonding with a variety of in-line surface…
Read MoreUnique and Custom Plasma Treating Designs for Difficult to Reach Surfaces
Enercon’s Blown-ion™ plasma discharge heads are well known for their ability to improve surface adhesion with inks, adhesives and coatings. They can be integrated in with robotics, indexing systems and conveyor systems to provide precise treatment that cleans, etches, and functionalizes surfaces. And, they are very effective at reaching crevices and small areas. Until recently, this technology…
Read MorePlasma & Flame Treatment Prepares Aluminum Surfaces for Bonding
Bonding to aluminum can be major challenge. Engineers typically rely on adhesives to bond aluminum without welding. Depending upon application requirements, there are several adhesives and VHB foam tapes that have proven effective. However, all adhesive-based remedies are subject to failure if surface preparation is overlooked. Aluminum Surface Contaminates Aluminum is often annealed to achieve…
Read MoreImprove Label Adhesion on Bottles – Flame & Plasma Treaters
When packagers are faced with label adhesion challenges, flame and plasma surface treaters are often used to increase bond strength. Label adhesion problems on bottles occur because many of the container, lid and cap materials used in packaging are chemically inert and non receptive to bonding with glue. Options for improving labeling success include changing…
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